Display method and foldable electronic device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a display method and a foldable electronic device. The foldable electronic device can perform, on the basis of a current folding form, actual power-off on a screen region that does not need to be displayed, rather than employing black masking. By controlling region-based power-on / power-off and region-based display of a screen, the power consumption on the screen side can be reduced; and an SoC does not need to process image data of a full screen resolution, which can also reduce the power consumption of the SOC.

Description

Display method and foldable electronic device

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411245115.7, filed on September 5, 2024, with the State Intellectual Property Office of China, and the Chinese patent application No. 202411245115.7 has the title of “Display method and foldable electronic device”, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of electronic technology, and in particular, to a display method and a foldable electronic device. BACKGROUND

[0003] In recent years, electronic devices with foldable screens, such as foldable screen mobile phones, have become increasingly popular among consumers. Foldable screen mobile phones can provide users with a large screen experience and can also be easily stored after folding. Moreover, the screen form of foldable screen mobile phones is variable, which can provide users with more diverse use scenarios. However, a larger screen means higher power consumption, and the power consumption control of foldable screens is very challenging. SUMMARY

[0004] In a first aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a display method, which can be applied to a foldable electronic device. The foldable electronic device can include a processor, a display screen, and a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC). The display screen is foldable, the display screen can be connected to the DDIC, and the DDIC can be connected to the processor.

[0005] The method can include the following steps:

[0006] The processor transmits a control instruction to the DDIC, and the control instruction is used to trigger the DDIC to perform partition power-on and power-off on the display screen. The partition power-on and power-off can include powering off a target screen-out area and powering on a target display area, wherein the target screen-out area is a screen area that does not display a picture, and the target display area is a screen area that displays a picture.

[0007] The processor also performs partition display data transmission to the DDIC, and the partition display data transmission only includes display data of the target display area.

[0008] In the first aspect, the processor can be the SoC mentioned in the subsequent embodiments, and the display screen can be the display screen 120 mentioned in the subsequent embodiments. The display screen can support partition power-on and power-off in hardware, and each screen area of the display screen can have independent power-on and power-off circuits.

[0009] The display method provided in the first aspect can actually power off the screen area that does not need to display a picture according to the current folding mode, instead of using black-out processing, so that the power consumption of the screen side can be reduced; in addition, the display data processed by the processor is no longer an integral screen resolution layer, so that the power consumption of the processor is also reduced; in addition, the data transmission amount of the interface between the processor and the DDIC can be reduced, and the data transmission power consumption is also reduced.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the scenario of triggering the processor to transmit the control instruction to the DDIC can include a first scenario or a second scenario. The first scenario is that the display screen is powered off from the integral screen to display a picture, and the second scenario is that the display screen is powered on while the folding mode is switched. The first scenario and the second scenario can be scenario 1 and scenario 2 respectively in subsequent embodiments.

[0011] The first scenario can include the following two sub-scenarios: 1. the display screen is powered off from the integral screen to display an AOD screen; and 2. the display screen is powered off from the integral screen to display a lock screen, a desktop, an application interface, or the like. The trigger condition of the sub-scenario 1 can also be an AOD start condition, which can include one or more of the following: single-clicking the screen, lifting the device, the user turning his head to look at the screen, and the like. The trigger condition of the sub-scenario 2 can include one or more of the following: receiving an incoming call in the integral screen power-off state, receiving a message or a notification in the integral screen power-off state, and pressing the power button in the integral screen power-off state.

[0012] The display screen power-on in the second scenario can refer to the following cases: the integral screen is in a power-on state, or one or more screen parts in the integral screen are in a power-on state. For example, the second scenario can be that a dynamic wallpaper is displayed from a folding state to an unfolding state, and the screen displays an AOD in the folding state, and as the screen is gradually unfolded, the display picture transitions from the AOD to a lock screen, and finally to a desktop or an application interface that was opened last time. The second scenario can also be, for example, that the folding mode is switched while displaying a desktop or an application interface.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the control instruction can be multiple. The processor transmits the control instruction to the DDIC, and specifically can include: the processor divides the multiple control instructions into multiple groups, and triggers the transmission of the multiple groups of control instructions in succession through multiple frame synchronization signals of the display screen, wherein one frame synchronization signal is used to trigger the transmission of one group of control instructions. In this way, the control instruction can be quickly issued to the DDIC in multiple frame synchronization signal periods, the DDIC is triggered to control the screen to be powered on or powered off locally, and the partition control is efficiently completed.

[0014] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the transmission order of the control instructions is determined by an execution order of the control instructions, and a control instruction with earlier execution order is transmitted earlier than a control instruction with later execution order. This ensures that the partition control is executed normally.

[0015] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the control instructions can include a first control instruction and a second control instruction. The first control instruction can be used to turn off the column start STV signal (including the ESTV signal) of the target screen-off area, as shown in the instruction of turning off the STV of the target screen-off area in FIG. 20B. The second control instruction can be used to turn on the STV signal of the target display area but not the light-emitting column start ESTV signal of the target display area, as shown in the instruction of turning on the STV of the target display area in FIG. 20B.

[0016] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the control instructions further include a third control instruction. The third control instruction can be used to set the refresh range of the target display area in the video memory of the display screen, as shown in the instruction of setting the refresh area in the GRAM in FIG. 20B. The third control instruction can carry information of the start row (2A) and the end row (2B) of the refresh range.

[0017] Each storage unit in the GRAM corresponds to a pixel point on the display panel. The refresh area in the GRAM to be set by the third control instruction corresponds to the target display area on the display panel, and the data stored in the refresh area corresponds to the image to be displayed by the target display area. In this way, correct partition display can be achieved by the partition control instructions.

[0018] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the control instructions can further include a fourth control instruction and a fifth control instruction. The fourth control instruction is transmitted to the DDIC earlier than the fifth control instruction. The fourth control instruction is used to trigger the DDIC to enter a first state, as shown in the instruction of entering the execution queue of the frame synchronization instruction (XEQ IN) in FIG. 20B. The fifth control instruction can be used to release the first state, as shown in the instruction of exiting the execution queue of the frame synchronization instruction (XEQ OUT) in FIG. 20B. The DDIC in the first state does not execute the control instructions received during the first state. This is conducive to the execution of multiple instructions received during the first state together, and can meet the requirement of continuous execution of a series of operations for screen-side initialization and other screen-side settings.

[0019] The control instructions received by the DDIC during the first state include: control instructions transmitted by the processor to the DDIC between the fourth control instruction and the fifth control instruction, such as the NL setting instruction, the VFP setting instruction, and the VSR setting instruction in FIG. 20B. The NL setting instruction can be used to set Vactive of the DDIC brush map, the VFP setting instruction can be used to set the vertical front porch (VFP), and the VSR setting instruction can be used to set a channel for generating a typical timing waveform in the DDIC.

[0020] In combination with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the control instructions further include a sixth control instruction, which can be used to trigger self-refresh of the display screen, such as the 0X2C instruction in FIG. 20B.

[0021] The control instructions received by the DDIC during the first state take effect after the DDIC receives the sixth control instruction. Here, taking effect after the sixth control instruction means being executed when the self-refresh of the display screen triggered by the sixth control instruction is performed. That is, after the DDIC exits the first state, the DDIC waits to receive the 0X2C instruction, triggers the self-refresh of the display screen after receiving the 0X2C instruction, and executes the aforementioned control instructions received by the DDIC during the first state during the self-refresh.

[0022] In combination with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the control instructions further include a seventh control instruction, which is used to turn on the ESTV signal of the target display area, such as the instruction for turning on the ESTV of the target display area in FIG. 20B.

[0023] In combination with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the transmission order of the first control instruction, the second control instruction, and the third control instruction can be before the transmission order of the fourth control instruction.

[0024] In combination with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the transmission order of the sixth control instruction can be after the transmission order of the fifth control instruction.

[0025] In combination with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the execution order of the seventh control instruction can be after the transmission order of the fifth control instruction.

[0026] In combination with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the control instructions can be divided into two parts: a first part of instructions and a second part of instructions. The first part of instructions is transmitted to the DDIC before the partitioned display data is sent, and the second part of instructions is transmitted to the DDIC after the partitioned display data is sent. The second part of instructions can include the seventh control instruction, which is used to turn on the ESTV signal of the target display area. In this way, the display screen can be turned on later by turning on the ESTV signal later, ensuring that the ESTV signal is turned on after the display data is sent, so that the problem of flickering can be avoided.

[0027] Not limited to only late ESTV signal, other control instructions triggering screen lighting can also be late, that is, the second part of instructions can also include such control instructions.

[0028] In combination with the first aspect, in some embodiments, if the detected scene is the first scene, the transmission of the control instructions can not be divided into two parts, and the transmission of the control instructions can be completed before the partition display. If the detected scene is the second scene, the transmission of the control instructions can be divided into two parts, the first part of the control instructions is transmitted before the partition display, and the second part of the control instructions is transmitted after the partition display. In this way, the problem of screen tearing or picture residual in the second scene can be avoided, and the first scene without the problem of screen tearing or picture residual can complete the transmission of the control instructions earlier.

[0029] In combination with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the processor also performs partition display to the DDIC, which can specifically include that the processor judges whether the layer specification of the upper-layer picture sending and the display specification are consistent, if not, the display is not performed using the upper-layer picture sending, and after the layer specification of the upper-layer picture sending and the display specification are consistent, the display is performed to the DDIC using the layer of the upper-layer picture sending. In this way, it can be ensured that the upper-layer picture sending specification and the processor display specification are consistent, the display subsystem exception is not triggered, and the black flashing problem is not caused.

[0030] During the waiting period, the upper-layer rendering thread can perform new picture sending, and the SoC display specification can also be adjusted. The SoC can continue to judge whether the upper-layer picture sending specification and the SoC display specification become consistent, and after the consistency, the display is performed using the upper-layer picture sending.

[0031] As described above, there are two cases of inconsistency between the upper-layer picture sending specification and the SoC display specification.

[0032] Case 1, the SoC display specification is updated, but the upper-layer picture sending specification is not updated.

[0033] Case 2, the upper-layer picture sending specification is updated, but the SoC display specification is not updated.

[0034] Case 1 mainly occurs in the second scenario described above, the SoC display specification is consistent with the specification of the target display area after the folding mode switching, and the black flash mainly occurs because the upper-layer image sending specification is not updated in time to be consistent with the target display area. For case 1, the SoC can determine whether the upper-layer image sending specification is consistent with the SoC display specification by judging whether the upper-layer image sending specification is consistent with the specification of the target display area. If the upper-layer image sending specification is consistent with the specification of the target display area, it can be determined that the upper-layer image sending specification is consistent with the SoC display specification; otherwise, it can be determined that the upper-layer image sending specification is inconsistent with the SoC display specification. If it is inconsistent, the SoC can not use the upper-layer image for display first, wait for a short time, and then use the new upper-layer image for display after the upper-layer rendering line receives the folding mode switching notification and updates the image sending specification. The specification of the new upper-layer image is consistent with the specification of the target display area.

[0035] Case 2 mainly occurs in the first scenario described above, the upper-layer image sending specification is consistent with the specification of the target display area from the beginning, and the black flash mainly occurs because the SoC display specification is not updated in time to be consistent with the target display area from the beginning. For case 2, the SoC can not use the upper-layer image for display first, wait for a short time, and then use the new upper-layer image for display after the SoC display specification is updated to be consistent with the target display area. Here, the target display area is the screen area for displaying a picture in the actual folding mode.

[0036] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a foldable electronic device, which can include a processor, a display screen, a display driving integrated circuit (DDIC), and a memory. The display screen is foldable, the display screen is connectable to the DDIC, the DDIC is connectable to the processor, the memory is connectable to the processor, the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect. For specific description of the foldable electronic device, refer to subsequent embodiments.

[0037] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which can be applied to the foldable electronic device described in the second aspect. The chip system includes one or more processors, and the processor is used to call a computer instruction to make the terminal device execute the method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0038] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores a computer program. When the computer program is run by a processor, the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect is implemented.

[0039] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, which comprises a computer program, and when the computer program is run by a processor, the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect is implemented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0040] FIGS. 1A-1B exemplarily show a foldable electronic device 100 provided by embodiments of the present application;

[0041] FIGS. 2A-2D exemplarily show several folding modes of a display screen;

[0042] FIGS. 3A-3B exemplarily show a folding state;

[0043] FIGS. 4A-4B exemplarily show another folding state;

[0044] FIGS. 5A-5B exemplarily show another folding state;

[0045] FIGS. 6A-6B exemplarily show another folding state;

[0046] FIGS. 7A-7B exemplarily show another folding state;

[0047] FIGS. 8A-8B exemplarily show another folding state;

[0048] FIGS. 9A-9B exemplarily show another folding state;

[0049] FIGS. 10A-10B exemplarily show another folding state;

[0050] FIGS. 11A-11B exemplarily show another folding state;

[0051] FIGS. 12A-12B exemplarily show another folding state;

[0052] FIG. 13 shows a display area change of a display screen;

[0053] FIG. 14 shows another display area change of a display screen;

[0054] FIG. 15 shows another display area change of a display screen;

[0055] FIG. 16 shows another display area change of a display screen;

[0056] FIG. 17 shows a brief flow of a screen blacking process;

[0057] FIG. 18 shows an example of sub-area power-off and sub-area display using embodiments of the present application;

[0058] FIG. 19 shows another example of partitioned power-off and partitioned display to which the embodiments of the present application are applied;

[0059] FIG. 20A shows the overall flow of a display method provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0060] FIG. 20B shows the sequence of issuing control instructions in different scenarios;

[0061] FIG. 21 briefly shows a display system in a foldable electronic device 100;

[0062] FIG. 22 exemplarily shows the operation timing in a folding mode switching scenario;

[0063] FIG. 23 shows an implementation manner of the display method provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0064] FIG. 24A shows a timing of issuing control instructions in batches from a SoC to a DDIC;

[0065] FIG. 24B shows another timing of issuing control instructions in batches from a SoC to a DDIC;

[0066] FIG. 25 shows another implementation manner of the display method provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0067] FIG. 26 shows a foldable electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0068] FIG. 27 shows a software system provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0069] FIG. 28 shows a flow of implementing partitioned control and partitioned display based on the software system shown in FIG. 27. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0070] The terms used in the following embodiments of the present application are only for the purpose of describing the specific embodiments, and are not intended to be limiting to the present application.

[0071] FIGS. 1A-1B exemplarily show a foldable electronic device provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 1A, the foldable electronic device 100 can include a display screen 120. The display screen 120 can be a whole piece of flexible screen, which can be folded. The display screen 120 can include multiple screen parts, for example, the following screen parts: display screen 120A, display screen 120B, and display screen 120C.

[0073] The display screen 120 can be foldable at positions 131A, 131B. Among them, the display screen 120A and the display screen 120B can be folded at the position 131A around a first folding component, and the display screen 120B and the display screen 120C can be folded at the position 131B around a second folding component. The first folding component and the second folding component may, for example, be a rotating shaft, a hinge, or the like.

[0074] One or more screen parts (such as the display screen 120B) can also be provided with a front camera 112, a receiver 113, a proximity light sensor (not shown), and the like. The front camera can also be provided on the display screen 120C.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 1B, the electronic device 100 can further include a back cover 110. The back cover 110 is used to support the display screen 120 and can be folded following the folding of the display screen 120. The back cover 110 can include the following housing parts: a housing 110A, a housing 110B, and a housing 110C. The housing 110A constitutes a non-display surface of the display screen 120A, the housing 110B constitutes a non-display surface of the display screen 120B, and the housing 110C constitutes a non-display surface of the display screen 120C.

[0076] The material of the back cover 110 can be a metal material, such as an aluminum-magnesium alloy, or a non-metal material. One or more housing parts can be provided with a rear camera on the surface thereof. For example, the housing 110A is provided with a rear camera 111 on the surface thereof, and the rear camera 111 can include multiple rear cameras, such as a rear camera 111A, a rear camera 111B, and a rear camera 111C. The rear camera 111A, the rear camera 111B, and the rear camera 111C can be, respectively, a normal camera, a wide-angle camera, and a long-focus camera. The surface of the housing 110A can also have a flash 115 and the like.

[0077] In addition to supporting the screen, the back cover 110 can also serve to protect the internal components of the electronic device. The electronic components of the electronic device 100 will be described in subsequent FIG. 28 embodiments, and it is not expanded here. In addition to the display screen 120 and the back cover 110, the circuit board (such as a flexible printed circuit (FPC)) inside the foldable electronic device can also be folded at the positions 131A, 131B, thereby supporting the entire foldable electronic device to be folded at the positions 131A, 131B. In this document, the electronic device 100 shown in FIGS. 1A-1B can also be referred to as a “three-fold electronic device” because it has three screen parts. Not limited to three folds, the foldable electronic device provided in the embodiments of the present application can also be a two-fold, four-fold, five-fold, or the like, with other numbers of screens.

[0078] For the convenience of the following description of the folded state, the open state and the dynamic switching therebetween, the electronic device can be divided into a plurality of faces: an A face, a B face, a C face, a D face, an E face and an F face. Among them, the A face is the non-display face of the display screen 120A (the face where the housing 110A is located), the B face is the non-display face of the display screen 120B (the face where the housing 110B is located), the C face is the non-display face of the display screen 120C (the face where the housing 110C is located), the D face is the display face of the display screen 120A, the E face is the display face of the display screen 120B, and the F face is the display face of the display screen 120C.

[0079] Next, taking a three-fold screen as an example, the folding mode, folding state and display area change of the display screen 120 are introduced.

[0080] Folding mode

[0081] The folding mode of the display screen 120 can include one or more of the following: inner folding and outer folding. Compared with outer folding, inner folding reduces the exposure of the screen to the outside.

[0082] FIG. 2A shows a simplified outer folding mode of the display screen 120. As shown in FIG. 2A, the display screen 120 is folded outward at position 131A, specifically, the display screen 120A is turned outward around the first folding component, and the turning direction is indicated by mark 121A. In this way, the D face is no longer in the same plane as the E face and the F face, and if the outer folding angle reaches 180°, the A face and the B face will come into contact and overlap together and become invisible to the outside.

[0083] FIG. 2B shows a simplified outer folding mode of the display screen 120. As shown in FIG. 2B, the display screen 120 is folded outward at position 131B, specifically, the display screen 120C is turned outward around the second folding component, and the turning direction is indicated by mark 121B. In this way, the F face is no longer in the same plane as the D face and the E face, and if the outer folding angle reaches 180°, the B face and the C face will come into contact and overlap together and become invisible to the outside.

[0084] FIG. 2C shows a simplified inner folding mode of the display screen 120. As shown in FIG. 2C, the display screen 120 is folded inward at position 131A, specifically, the display screen 120A is turned inward around the first folding component, and the turning direction is indicated by mark 122A. In this way, the A face is no longer in the same plane as the B face and the C face, and if the inner folding angle reaches 180°, the D face and the E face will come into contact and overlap together and become invisible to the outside.

[0085] Figure 2D shows another inward folding manner of the display screen 120. As shown in Figure 2D, the display screen 120 is inward folded at position 131B, specifically, the display screen 120C is turned inward around the second folding component, and the turning direction is indicated by the mark 122B. In this way, the C face is no longer coplanar with the A face and the B face, and if the inward folding angle reaches 180°, the E face and the F face will be in contact and superimposed and invisible to the outside.

[0086] Some folding modes

[0087] Open state

[0088] Figures 1A-1B show that the electronic device 100 is in an open state. As shown in Figures 1A-1B, when the electronic device 100 is in the open state, the display faces of the screens of the display screen 120 are on the same side of the electronic device 100, wherein the display face of the display screen 120A and the display face of the display screen 120B form a small angle, for example, equal to or close to 0 degrees, and the display face of the display screen 120B and the display face of the display screen 120C also form a small angle, for example, equal to or close to 0 degrees. Therefore, the display faces of the screens are fully exposed to the user and can be used for display.

[0089] Folding state (1)

[0090] Figures 3A-3B show a folding state (1), which can be a folding state formed by one outward folding of the folding manner shown in Figure 2A. In this folding state, the D face and the E face and the F face form an angle of 180° or close to 180°, and the D face, the E face and the F face are all visible to the user, except that the D face is no longer coplanar with the E face and the F face. Not limited to this, the folding state (1) can also be a derived folding state with more folding positions, which can be defined by the outward folding angle of the display screen 120A, for example, 60°, 90°, 120°, 150°, etc.

[0091] Folding state (2)

[0092] Figures 4A-4B show a folding state (2), which can be a folding state formed by one outward folding of the folding manner shown in Figure 2B. In this folding state, the F face and the D face and the E face form an angle of 180° or close to 180°, and the D face, the E face and the F face are all visible to the user, except that the F face is no longer coplanar with the D face and the E face. Not limited to this, the folding state (2) can also be a derived folding state with more folding positions, which can be defined by the outward folding angle of the display screen 120C, for example, 60°, 90°, 120°, 150°, etc.

[0093] Folding state (3)

[0094] Figures 5A-5B show a folding state (3), which can be formed by one inner folding of the folding manner shown in Figure 2C. In this folding state, there is an angle of 180° or close to 180° between the D face and the E, F faces, the D face and the E face are folded inwards and invisible to the user, only the F face is visible to the user. Without limitation, the folding state (3) can also have more folding position derivative folding states, which can be defined by the inner folding angle of the display screen 120A, such as 60°, 90°, 120°, etc.

[0095] Folding state (4)

[0096] Figures 6A-6B show a folding state (4), which can be formed by one inner folding of the folding manner shown in Figure 2D. In this folding state, there is an angle of 180° or close to 180° between the F face and the D, E faces, the E face and the F face are folded inwards and invisible to the user, only the D face is visible to the user. Without limitation, the folding state (4) can also have more folding position derivative folding states, which can be defined by the inner folding angle of the display screen 120C, such as 60°, 90°, 150°, etc.

[0097] Folding state (5)

[0098] Figures 7A-7B show a folding state (5). The folding state (5) can be formed by two outer foldings of the folding manners shown in Figures 2B and 2A in sequence, which can be shown in Figure 7B. In this folding state, there is an angle of 180° or close to 180° between the D face and the E face, and there is an angle of 180° or close to 180° between the F face and the E face, the F face is folded inwards and invisible to the user, only the D face and the E face are visible to the user. Without limitation, the folding state (5) can also have more folding position derivative folding states, which can be defined by the outer folding angle a of the display screen 120A and the outer folding angle β of the display screen 120C, such as a = 60° and β = 60°, a = 90° and β = 90°, etc.

[0099] Folding state (6)

[0100] Figures 8A-8B show a folding state (6). The folding state (6) can be formed by twice folding outwardly in the folding manners shown in Figures 2A and 2B in sequence, and can be as shown in Figure 8B. In this folding state, there is a 180° or near 180° angle between the D face and the E face, and there is a 180° or near 180° angle between the F face and the E face, the D face is folded inwardly and not visible to the user, only the F face and the E face are visible to the user. Without limitation, the folding state (6) can also be a derivative folding state with more folding positions, which can be defined by the outward folding angle a of the display screen 120A and the outward folding angle β of the display screen 120C, for example, a = 60° and β = 60°, a = 90° and β = 120°, etc.

[0101] Folding state (7)

[0102] Figures 9A-9B show a folding state (7). The folding state (7) can be formed by twice folding inwardly in the folding manners shown in Figures 2C and 2D in sequence, and can be as shown in Figure 9B. In this folding state, there is a 180° or near 180° angle between the D face and the E face, and there is a 180° or near 180° angle between the F face and the E face, the D face, the E face, and the F face are all folded inwardly and not visible to the user, at this time the electronic device 100 does not perform screen display. Without limitation, the folding state (7) can also be a derivative folding state with more folding positions, which can be defined by the inward folding angle a of the display screen 120A and the inward folding angle β of the display screen 120C, for example, a = 90° and β = 60°, a = 120° and β = 150°, etc.

[0103] Folding state (8)

[0104] Figures 10A-10B show a folding state (8). The folding state (8) can be formed by twice folding inwardly in the folding manners shown in Figures 2D and 2C in sequence, and can be as shown in Figure 10B. In this folding state, there is a 180° or near 180° angle between the D face and the E face, and there is a 180° or near 180° angle between the F face and the E face, the D face, the E face, and the F face are all folded inwardly and not visible to the user, at this time the electronic device 100 does not perform screen display. Without limitation, the folding state (8) can also be a derivative folding state with more folding positions, which can be defined by the inward folding angle a of the display screen 120A and the inward folding angle β of the display screen 120C, for example, a = 90° and β = 60°, a = 120° and β = 150°, etc.

[0105] Folding state (9)

[0106] FIGS. 11A-11B show a folding state (9). The folding state (9) can be formed by one outer folding shown in FIG. 2A and one inner folding shown in FIG. 2D, as shown in FIG. 11B. In this folding state, there is a 180° or near 180° angle between the D face and the E face, and there is a 180° or near 180° angle between the F face and the E face, the E face and the F face are folded inwards and not visible to the user, only the D face is visible to the user, and the electronic device 100 can display a screen only on the D face. Without limitation, the folding state (9) can also have a derived folding state with more folding positions, which can be defined by the outer folding angle a of the display 120A and the inner folding angle β of the display 120C, for example, a = 90° and β = 60°, a = 120° and β = 90°, etc.

[0107] Folding state (10)

[0108] FIGS. 12A-12B show a folding state (10). The folding state (10) is formed by one outer folding shown in FIG. 2B and one inner folding shown in FIG. 2C, as shown in FIG. 12B. In this folding state, there is a 180° or near 180° angle between the D face and the E face, and there is a 180° or near 180° angle between the F face and the E face, the D face and the E face are folded inwards and not visible to the user, only the F face is visible to the user, and the electronic device 100 can display a screen only on the F face. Without limitation, the folding state (10) can also have a derived folding state with more folding positions, which can be defined by the inner folding angle a of the display 120A and the outer folding angle β of the display 120C, for example, a = 90° and β = 60°, a = 120° and β = 120°, etc.

[0109] The electronic device 100 can only have the above-mentioned partial folding states. The electronic device 100 can only support inner folding, and thus can only have the folding state (3), the folding state (4), the folding state (7), and the folding state (8). The electronic device 100 can also only support outer folding, and thus can only have the folding state (1), the folding state (2), the folding state (5), and the folding state (6). The electronic device 100 can also only be able to fold outward at 131A and fold inward at 131B, and thus can only have the folding state (1), the folding state (4), and the folding state (9); or only be able to fold inward at 131A and fold outward at 131B, and thus can only have the folding state (2), the folding state (3), and the folding state (10).

[0110] Display area change

[0111] Change (1)

[0112] FIG. 13 shows display area change (1) of the display screen 120, which is from displaying only on the E and F surfaces (D surface black screen) to displaying on the D, E, and F surfaces. The change (1) can be caused by the following folding state switching: switching from the folding state (1) to the open state.

[0113] Change (2)

[0114] FIG. 14 shows display area change (2) of the display screen 120, which is from displaying on the D, E, and F surfaces to displaying only on the E and F surfaces (D surface black screen). The change (2) can be caused by the following folding state switching: switching from the open state to the folding state (1).

[0115] Change (3)

[0116] FIG. 15 shows display area change (3) of the display screen 120, which is from displaying only on the D surface (E and F surfaces black screen) to displaying on the D, E, and F surfaces. The change (3) can be caused by the following folding state switching: switching from the folding state (4) to the open state.

[0117] Change (4)

[0118] FIG. 16 shows display area change (4) of the display screen 120, which is from displaying on the D, E, and F surfaces to displaying only on the D surface (E and F surfaces black screen). The change (4) can be caused by the following folding state switching: switching from the open state to the folding state (4).

[0119] FIGS. 13 to 16 are only used as examples of display area changes, and in actual applications, the display screen 120 can have more or fewer display area changes, or different display area changes.

[0120] For a screen area that does not need to be displayed, the electronic device 100 can use a layer to cover the screen area to make it a black screen. As shown in FIG. 17, screen covering refers to covering the screen area that does not need to be displayed with a black layer. For a system on chip (SoC), the display data of the entire screen resolution still needs to be processed (such as rendering synthesis, etc.), and is transmitted to the screen side through a high-speed interface (such as a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)) for display. The screen side needs to process the entire screen data and refresh it to the display screen for display. The screen side can include the display screen and a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC). In this way, even if only part of the screen is displayed, the screen side has a high cost of sending display, the non-display area is still in a power-on state, and the screen side has high power consumption. Moreover, the data processed by the SOC is still the entire screen resolution layer, and the SOC also has high power consumption.

[0121] The display method provided in the embodiments of the present application can realize partition power-on and power-off and display sending by partition control of the display screen 120, so as to reduce screen power consumption.

[0122] When the foldable electronic device is in different folding states, the display area of the display screen 120 is also different. The embodiments of the present application can make the non-display area truly power off, thereby reducing power consumption. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, when the three-fold electronic device is in a folded state (10), only the F surface is the display area, and the D surface and the E surface are truly powered off. For another example, as shown in FIG. 19, when the three-fold electronic device is in a folded state (1), only the E surface and the F surface are the display area, and the D surface is truly powered off. In addition, the transition area (the area marked by the dashed line in the figure) between the display area and the non-display area that is powered off can be divided into two parts, and the part adjacent to the non-display area that is powered off can also be powered off, and the part adjacent to the display area can be subjected to black-out processing.

[0123] In the embodiments of the present application, the display screen 120 can support partition power-on and power-off in hardware, and each screen area (display screens 120A, 120B and 120C) has an independent power-on circuit and a power-off circuit. The electronic device can truly power off the screen area that does not need to display a picture according to the current folding state, instead of using black-out processing.

[0124] As shown in FIG. 20A, the overall flow of the display method provided in the embodiments of the present application can include the following steps.

[0125] S51. The SoC issues a control instruction to the DDIC.

[0126] The control instruction can be used to trigger the DDIC to perform partition power-on and power-off on the display screen. Partition power-on and power-off can refer to powering off a target screen-out area and powering on a target display area, wherein the target screen-out area is a screen area that does not display a picture, and the target display area is a screen area that displays a picture. In this way, in some folding states, the screen area that does not display a picture can be truly powered off, thereby significantly reducing screen-side power consumption.

[0127] Correspondingly, the DDIC can perform partition power-on and power-off on the display screen according to the control instruction.

[0128] S52. The SoC performs partition display sending to the DDIC.

[0129] The data of the partition display sending transmitted by the SoC to the DDIC is only the display data of the target display area, instead of the display data of the entire screen, so that the data processing amount of the SoC is reduced, the bandwidth requirement of the communication interface between the SoC and the DDIC is reduced, and the power consumption of the SoC side is reduced.

[0130] Correspondingly, after receiving the partition display data, the DDIC can write the SOC partition display data into the GRAM. Here, the target display area refers to the screen area used to display the screen after the folding mode is switched, such as the D face, the E face, and the F face in FIG. 13, the E face and the F face in FIG. 14, the D face, the E face, and the F face in FIG. 15, and the D face in FIG. 16.

[0131] As shown in FIG. 20B, the scenario of triggering the above-mentioned partition power-on and partition display can include:

[0132] Scenario 1: The display screen is powered off from the full screen to display the screen.

[0133] The "display screen" in "powered off from the full screen to display the screen" can refer to the full screen display screen, or can refer to one or more screen part display screens in the full screen. Which screen of the display screen is determined by the folding mode. For example, in the unfolded state, the display screen is the full screen. For another example, in the folding state (9), the display screen is the D face.

[0134] Scenario 1 can include the following two sub-scenarios: 1. The display screen is powered off from the full screen to display the AOD screen; 2. The display screen is powered off from the full screen to display the lock screen interface, the desktop, the application interface, etc. Among them, the trigger condition of the sub-scenario 1 can also be the AOD opening condition, which can include one or more of the following: single-click screen, device lifting, user turning head to look at the screen, etc. The trigger condition of the sub-scenario 2 can include one or more of the following: receiving a call in the full screen power-off state, receiving a message or notification in the full screen power-off state, user pressing the power button in the full screen power-off state, etc.

[0135] Scenario 2: The folding mode switching occurs when the display screen is powered on.

[0136] Here, the display screen power-on can include: the full screen is in the power-on state, or one or more screen parts in the full screen are in the power-on state. Scenario 2 can be, for example, displaying a mirror-to-bottom dynamic wallpaper when switching from the folding state to the unfolded state, and the screen displays the AOD in the folding state. As the screen gradually unfolds, the display screen transitions from the AOD to the lock screen interface, and then to the desktop. Scenario 2 can also be, for example, folding mode switching when displaying the desktop or application interface. For the description of the folding mode switching, please refer to the foregoing, which will not be repeated here.

[0137] In the embodiments of the present application, the SoC issues multiple control instructions for partition control to the DDIC. The execution order of the multiple control instructions can be used to constrain the issue order of the multiple control instructions, and the control instruction with earlier execution order is transmitted earlier than the control instruction with later execution order.

[0138] The plurality of control instructions can include: a first control instruction, a second control instruction. The first control instruction can be used to turn off the column start STV signal (including the ESTV signal) of the target screen-out area, such as the instruction for turning off the STV of the target screen-out area in FIG. 20B; the second control instruction can be used to turn on the STV signal of the target display area but not turn on the light column start ESTV signal of the target display area, such as the instruction for turning on the STV of the target display area in FIG. 20B.

[0139] The plurality of control instructions can also include: a third control instruction, which can be used to set the corresponding refresh range of the target display area in the display memory of the display screen, such as the instruction for setting the refresh area in the GRAM in FIG. 20B. The third control instruction can carry the information of the start row (2A) and the end row (2B) of the refresh range.

[0140] Each storage unit in the GRAM corresponds to a pixel point on the display panel, and the refresh area in the GRAM to be set by the third control instruction corresponds to the target display area on the display panel, and the data stored in the refresh area corresponds to the picture to be displayed by the target display area. In this way, correct partition display can be realized through the partition control instruction.

[0141] The plurality of control instructions can also include: a fourth control instruction and a fifth control instruction, wherein the fourth control instruction is transmitted to the DDIC earlier than the fifth control instruction, the fourth control instruction can be used to trigger the DDIC to enter the first state, such as the execute queued frame-synched commands in (XEQ IN) instruction in FIG. 20B, and the fifth control instruction can be used to exit the first state, such as the execute queued frame-synched commands out (XEQ OUT) instruction in FIG. 20B. The DDIC in the first state does not execute the control instructions received during the first state, which is conducive to the execution of multiple instructions received during the period together, and can meet the demand for continuous execution of a series of operations for screen-side initialization and other screen-side settings.

[0142] The control instructions received by the DDIC during the first state can include: the control instructions transmitted by the processor to the DDIC between the fourth control instruction and the fifth control instruction, such as the NL setting instruction, the VFP setting instruction, and the VSR setting instruction in FIG. 20B, wherein the NL setting instruction can be used to set the column direction Vactive of the DDIC, the VFP setting instruction can be used to set the vertical front porch (VFP), and the VSR setting instruction can be used to set the channel for generating a typical timing waveform inside the DDIC.

[0143] The plurality of control instructions can further include a sixth control instruction, which is used to trigger the self-refresh of the display screen, as shown in the 0X2C instruction in the figure. In addition, the control instructions received by the DDIC during the first state take effect after the DDIC receives the sixth control instruction. Here, taking effect after the sixth control instruction means being executed when the self-refresh of the display screen triggered by the sixth control instruction. That is, after the DDIC exits the first state, the 0X2C instruction is waited for, the self-refresh of the display screen is triggered after the 0X2C instruction is received, and the control instructions received by the DDIC during the first state are executed during the self-refresh.

[0144] The plurality of control instructions can further include a seventh control instruction, which is used to turn on the ESTV signal of the target display area, as shown in the instruction for turning on the ESTV of the target display area in FIG. 20B.

[0145] As shown in FIG. 20B, the transmission order of the first control instruction, the second control instruction, and the third control instruction can be before the transmission order of the fourth control instruction, the transmission order of the sixth control instruction can be after the transmission order of the fifth control instruction, and the execution order of the seventh control instruction can be after the transmission order of the fifth control instruction.

[0146] As shown in FIG. 20B, the plurality of control instructions can be divided into groups in the form of instruction packages, and then sequentially issued to the DDIC. One instruction package is one group of control instructions. Specifically, the SoC can trigger the sequential transmission of the plurality of groups of control instructions through a plurality of frame synchronization signals of the display screen, wherein one frame synchronization signal is used to trigger the transmission of one group of control instructions.

[0147] FIG. 20B shows a grouping manner of control instructions, for example, the first, second, and third control instructions are included in instruction package A, the fourth instruction is included in instruction package B, the fifth instruction is included in instruction package D, and so on. Without limitation, the grouping of the plurality of control instructions can also be different.

[0148] The issuance manner, issuance order, and other details of the control instructions are described in detail in subsequent embodiments, which are not expanded here.

[0149] In the embodiments of the present application, the SoC can be replaced by a processor, and the SoC is only a specific implementation form of the processor. In this paper, the steps or functions performed by the SoC can be replaced by the processor.

[0150] In addition, as can be seen from FIG. 20B, in the display method provided in the embodiments of the present application, in the scenario of fold form switching when the display screen is powered on, the issuance of a part of the control instructions is later than the partitioned display. This is to solve the possible screen tearing and picture residual problems.

[0151] Not limited to the screen, picture residual problems, in the foregoing scenario 1, scenario 2, the display screen may also appear black flash and other transient display abnormal problems. The embodiments of the application will solve these problems.

[0152] First, the following first describes the causes of the abnormal problems such as screen, picture residual, black flash.

[0153] FIG. 21 briefly shows a display system in a foldable electronic device 100, which can include a display screen 120, a SoC 150, a DDIC 160 and a display memory 170. Among them, the SoC 150 is connected with the DDIC 160, and the DDIC 160 is also connected with the display screen 120 and the display memory 170. The DDIC 160 can be used as the control core of the display screen 120, drive the display screen 120 to work, and receive data such as image data and some instructions from the SoC 150. The DDIC 160 can send driving signals and data to the display panel of the display screen 120 in the form of electrical signals, and then realize the control of screen brightness and color, so that image information such as letters, pictures and the like can be displayed on the screen, and screen refresh is completed. The display memory 170 can also be called GRAM. Each storage unit in the GRAM corresponds to a pixel point on the display panel. The data stored in the GRAM will be refreshed to the display 34 according to the frequency of the frame synchronization signal of the display screen, so that each pixel point presents a specific color, and the combination becomes a complete image. This refresh is the self-refresh of the display screen. After receiving the data sent by the SoC, the data in the GRAM will be updated to the sent data. The frame synchronization signal of the display screen can include tearing effect (TE) signal and vertical synchronization (vsync) signal.

[0154] One of the problems: screen or picture residual.

[0155] The SoC sending and the display screen 120 self-refreshing according to the frame synchronization signal are two time-independent things, and there is no cooperation between each other. This may lead to: in the foregoing scenario 2, the SoC has not sent the data, and the existing data in the GRAM will be refreshed to the display screen 120, and some folding mode switching may cause screen or picture residual. Because, in the foregoing scenario 2, the display screen 120 is not powered off, the DDI C 160 is still in the power-on state, and the GRAM is not cleared.

[0156] If a new display area is introduced from the first folding mode to the second folding mode, and the new display area has not displayed a picture before entering the first folding mode, as shown in FIG. 22, in the case that the SoC has not sent the data, the corresponding data of the new display area in the GRAM is still the initialized random value when the display screen self-refreshes. The random value brushed to the display area will appear as a screen problem.

[0157] If a new display area is introduced when switching from the first folding mode to the second folding mode, and the new display area has displayed a picture before entering the first folding mode, in the case that the SoC fails to send the display in time, the data corresponding to the new display area in the GRAM when the display screen refreshes is the data of the last picture displayed by the new display area, and the data brushed onto the display area will appear as a picture residual problem.

[0158] The new display area mentioned above refers to a display area that displays a picture in the second folding mode but does not display a picture in the first folding mode. For example, the new display areas introduced when switching from the folding state (10) to the unfolded state are the D face and the E face.

[0159] Problem two: black flashing.

[0160] The update of the SoC display specification and the update of the upper-layer picture sending specification are two independent processes and do not coordinate with each other. This may lead to the situation that the SoC display specification is updated while the upper-layer picture sending specification is not updated, or the upper-layer picture sending specification is updated while the SoC display specification is not updated. The inconsistency between the SoC display specification and the upper-layer picture sending specification will be identified as a display subsystem exception. The SoC needs to perform a reset on the display subsystem to handle the exception, and the exception handling will cause the black flashing problem of the display screen 120.

[0161] In the aforementioned scenario 1 (the display screen is powered off for the whole screen and then displays a picture), no matter the actual folding mode when the picture is displayed, the display screen will first be powered on according to the unfolded state (i.e., the whole screen is powered on), and then only the target display area is powered on through partition power-on and power-off. The SoC display specification also needs a period of time to adjust from adapting to the unfolded state to adapting to the actual folding mode. However, the upper-layer picture sending specification is adapted to the actual folding mode from the beginning, which will cause the situation that the picture sending specification is updated while the SoC display specification is not updated, leading to the inconsistency between the upper-layer picture sending specification and the SoC display specification, and finally causing the black flashing problem.

[0162] In the aforementioned scenario 2 (the folding mode is switched when the display screen is powered on), the operating system will notify the upper-layer rendering thread of the folding mode change, and the implementation of the notification will be described in the following embodiments. However, before the notification arrives, the upper-layer rendering thread may have just sent a picture once according to the display area specification before the folding mode change, and the SoC display specification has been updated to adapt to the display area specification after the folding mode change, which will cause the situation that the SoC display specification is updated while the upper-layer picture sending specification is not updated, leading to the inconsistency between the upper-layer picture sending specification and the SoC display specification, and finally causing the black flashing problem.

[0163] To solve the problem of screen flicker, the SoC can send the partition control instructions (i.e., the control instructions in FIG. 20B) to the DDIC in batches according to the frame synchronization signals of the display screen when the folding mode is switched, but the instruction for opening the ESTV (EM start vertical) light start signal of the target display area is sent to the DDIC after the first frame is sent.

[0164] The ESTV signal is a special STV signal, and its function is to control the light start. Therefore, the late opening of the ESTV signal can delay the lighting of the display screen, thereby avoiding the problem of screen flicker.

[0165] The partition control instructions (i.e., the control instructions in FIG. 20B) include a plurality of control instructions. There is an execution order between the plurality of control instructions, which refers to the order that the DDIC needs to follow to execute the plurality of control instructions to ensure the normal driving and setting of the display screen.

[0166] The execution order of them can determine the order in which the SoC sends these control instructions to the DDIC. That is, the SoC can send the plurality of control instructions to the DDIC in multiple times according to the execution order of the plurality of control instructions, wherein the control instruction with earlier execution order is sent earlier than the control instruction with later execution order. The plurality of control instructions can be divided into a plurality of groups, and the plurality of groups are sent to the DDIC in succession, wherein the successive transmission can refer to transmitting the plurality of groups of control instructions according to a plurality of frame synchronization signals, and one frame synchronization signal is used to trigger the transmission of one group of control instructions. Each control instruction package in the following refers to a group of control instructions, which is a group of control instructions organized in the form of an instruction package. In one control instruction package, a plurality of control instructions are arranged according to their execution order to ensure that the DDIC can execute them in order after receiving them.

[0167] To solve the problem of screen flicker, the control instruction for opening the ESTV signal of the target display area in the plurality of control instructions can be sent after the partition display is sent, so as to delay the opening of the ESTV signal of the target display area and ensure that the ESTV signal is opened after the display is completed.

[0168] In the embodiments of the present application, the SoC can send the control instructions to the DDIC in multiple times according to the frame synchronization signals of the display screen. Each sending of the control instructions can be aligned in time with the frame synchronization signals of the display screen.

[0169] As shown in FIG. 23, the specific implementation of the display method provided by the embodiments of the present application can include:

[0170] S11, when the i-th frame synchronization signal arrives, the SoC sends the instruction package A to the DDIC.

[0171] The ith frame synchronization signal can be the first frame synchronization signal after detecting the foregoing scenario 1 or scenario 2, and the power-on and power-off control on the partition can be implemented as early as possible, and the time delay is reduced. Not limited to this, the ith frame synchronization signal can also be the second or third frame synchronization signal after the folding mode switching.

[0172] The instruction package A can include an STV signal off instruction, an STV signal on instruction, a setting instruction of a refresh area, and the like. The STV signal off instruction can be used for the STV signal (including the ESTV signal) of the target screen-off area; the STV signal on instruction can be used for turning on the STV signal (except the ESTV signal) of the target display area; and the setting instruction of the refresh area can be used for the corresponding refresh area of the target display area in the GRAM. The setting instruction of the refresh area can carry the information of the start line and the end line of the refresh area.

[0173] The target screen-off area can be a screen area that does not display a picture after the folding mode switching.

[0174] The target display area can be a screen area for displaying a picture after the folding mode switching, and it is also a display area that is about to be powered on.

[0175] Correspondingly, after receiving the instruction package A, the DDIC can turn off the STV signal (including the ESTV signal) of the target screen-off area according to the foregoing STV signal off instruction, turn on the STV signal (except the ESTV signal) of the target display area according to the foregoing STV signal on instruction, and determine which range of data in the GRAM to refresh to the display screen according to the foregoing setting instruction of the refresh area.

[0176] Not limited to the foregoing STV signal off instruction, STV signal on instruction and setting instruction of the refresh area, the instruction package A can also include more, less or different control instructions.

[0177] S12, the ith+1 frame synchronization signal is detected, and the SoC issues an instruction package B to the DDIC.

[0178] The instruction package B can include an XEQ IN instruction. The XEQ IN instruction can be used to set the DDIC to enter the first state. After the DDIC enters the first state, it will not respond to the control instructions (such as the instructions in the instruction package C) received subsequently, until the fourth control instruction is received.

[0179] Correspondingly, the DDIC can enter the first state according to the XEQ IN instruction, wait for the arrival of the XEQ OUT control instruction, and temporarily cache the control instructions received by the device without executing them.

[0180] Not limited to the i+1 frame synchronization signal, the time of issuing the second control instruction and the time of issuing the first control instruction (the i frame synchronization signal) can also be separated by 2, 3, etc. frame synchronization signals, the shorter the interval time, the lower the screen partition control delay.

[0181] Not limited to the above XEQ IN instruction, the instruction package B can also include other control instructions.

[0182] S13, detects the arrival of the i+2 frame synchronization signal, and the SoC issues an instruction package C to the DDIC.

[0183] The instruction package C can include: NL setting instruction, VFP setting instruction, VSR setting instruction.

[0184] Correspondingly, the DDIC in the first state first buffers the instruction package C. Until receiving the instruction package D (XEQ OUT), the DDIC releases the first state to ensure that the control instructions received during the first state of the DDIC (such as the instructions in the instruction package C) are executed together. After releasing the first state, the DDIC continues to wait until receiving the instruction package E (0X2C instruction) and triggering the display screen self-refresh to execute the instructions in the instruction package C. That is, the instructions in the instruction package C take effect after receiving the 0X2C instruction in the instruction package E. For details, see S14-S15.

[0185] Not limited to the i+2 frame synchronization signal, the time of issuing the third control instruction and the time of issuing the second control instruction (the i+1 frame synchronization signal) can also be separated by 2, 3, etc. frame synchronization signals, the shorter the interval time, the lower the screen partition control delay.

[0186] Not limited to the above NL setting instruction, VFP setting instruction, VSR setting instruction, the instruction package C can also include more, less or different control instructions.

[0187] S14, detects the arrival of the i+3 frame synchronization signal, and the SoC issues an instruction package D to the DDIC.

[0188] The instruction package D can include an XEQ OUT instruction, which can be used to release the first state of the DDIC.

[0189] Correspondingly, the DDIC can release the first state according to the XEQ OUT instruction.

[0190] Not limited to the i+3 frame synchronization signal, the time of issuing the instruction package D and the time of issuing the instruction package C (the i+2 frame synchronization signal) can also be separated by 2, 3, etc. frame synchronization signals, the shorter the interval time, the lower the screen partition control delay.

[0191] Without being limited to the above-mentioned XEQOUT instruction, the instruction package D can further include other control instructions.

[0192] S15, detecting that the jth frame synchronization signal arrives, the SoC issues an instruction package E to the DDIC.

[0193] The jth frame synchronization signal is later than the i+3th frame synchronization signal.

[0194] The instruction package E can include an instruction for triggering the display screen to self-refresh, and the instruction code of the instruction can be 0X2C for example.

[0195] Correspondingly, the DDIC can trigger the display screen to self-refresh according to the 0X2C instruction, and execute the instructions in the instruction package C during the display screen self-refresh, such as setting the column direction valid VSR of the DDIC brush picture, setting the channel of the DDIC internal generation of typical timing waveform, and setting the VSR.

[0196] Up to now, the partition control instruction for the display screen 120 is basically issued, but the control instruction for opening the ESTV signal of the target display area (i.e. the eighth control instruction hereinafter) is excluded. Next, the SoC can perform partition display sending to the DDIC, and then open the ESTV signal of the target display area after the partition display sending, so as to avoid the problem of mura.

[0197] Without being limited to the above-mentioned instruction for triggering the display screen to self-refresh (0X2C), the instruction package E can further include other control instructions.

[0198] S16, detecting that the kth frame synchronization signal arrives, the SoC can perform partition display sending to the DDIC.

[0199] The kth frame synchronization signal is later than the jth frame synchronization signal.

[0200] The data of the partition display sending is only the display data of the target display area, instead of the display data of the whole screen. Correspondingly, the DDIC can write the data of the partition display sending of the SoC into the GRAM. Here, the target display area refers to the display area for displaying the picture after the folding mode switching, such as the D face, the E face and the F face in FIG. 13, the E face and the F face in FIG. 14, the D face, the E face and the F face in FIG. 15, and the D face in FIG. 16.

[0201] S17, detecting that the mth frame synchronization signal arrives, the SoC issues an instruction package F to the DDIC.

[0202] The instruction package F can include an instruction for opening the ESTV signal of the target display area. Correspondingly, the DDIC can open the ESTV signal of the target display area in response to the instruction.

[0203] The mth frame synchronization signal can be the first frame synchronization signal after the completion of the subarea display, so that the subarea power-on and power-off control can be realized as soon as possible, and the time delay is reduced. However, the mth frame synchronization signal can also be the second, third, or other frame synchronization signal after the completion of the subarea display.

[0204] Correspondingly, the DDIC can turn on the ESTV signal of the target display area according to the instruction package F. At this time, the target display area is lit, and the display data of the target display area in the GRAM is refreshed to the display screen and is visible to the user.

[0205] The instruction package F can also include other control instructions, not limited to the above-mentioned instruction of turning on the ESTV signal of the target display area.

[0206] That is to say, the subarea control instruction can be divided into two parts, the first part can be executed before the subarea display, and the second part can be executed after the subarea display, so as to avoid the problem of the mura.

[0207] Not limited to the one shown in FIG. 23, in actual application, the control instructions issued by the SoC to the DDIC can be more, less, or different. In FIG. 23, one control instruction issue can be used to issue one or more control instructions, and the number of control instructions in one group is not limited by the embodiments of the present application, and can be determined according to factors such as the interface bandwidth between the SoC and the DDIC. The grouping shown in FIG. 23 is only one grouping manner, and the grouping manner of the plurality of control instructions can also be different.

[0208] FIGS. 24A-24B exemplarily show two timing sequences of the batched and multiple times of issuing control instructions. The timing sequence shown in FIG. 24A can be applicable to the aforementioned AP-side online switching scenario, and FIG. 24B can be applicable to the aforementioned AP-side fast power-on scenario. In the examples of FIGS. 24A-24B, the period of the frame synchronization signal is 2.8 milliseconds.

[0209] As shown in FIG. 24A, after detecting the first frame synchronization signal during the duration of the first frame synchronization signal after the aforementioned scenario 1 or scenario 2, the SoC issues the instruction package A to the DDIC, and triggers the subsequent issuance of the instruction package B, the instruction package C, and the instruction package D through the next continuous plurality of frame synchronization signals. The adjacent control instructions can be issued with an interval of one frame synchronization signal period. Then, the SoC performs display when the next frame synchronization signal arrives. The display time can be later than the issuance time of the instruction package E by at least a first time length, so as to reserve sufficient execution time for the instruction package C. The first time length can be one vsync period, for example, 8.3 milliseconds. After the display, the SoC issues the instruction package E to the DDIC, that is, the ESTV signal of the target display area is turned on by the DDIC after the completion of the display.

[0210] As shown in FIG. 24B, the control instruction issuing timing in the AP-side fast power-on scenario is generally the same as that in the AP-side online switching scenario, with the difference being that in the AP-side fast power-on scenario, the seventh control instruction (XEQOUT) needs to be issued for at least a first time duration before the seventh control instruction (0X2C) can be issued, and the instruction packet D (0X2C) needs to be issued for at least a second time duration before the partition display can be performed. In this way, sufficient time can be ensured to turn off the STV signal of the target screen-out area before the display screen is triggered to refresh according to the 0X2C instruction, thereby avoiding the user from seeing the area that should have been turned off flashing. That is, as shown in FIG. 24B, the instruction packet E is issued later than the fourth control instruction by b*2.8 ms, and the display is performed later than the fifth control instruction by a*2.8 ms, where b and a are positive integers, b*2.8 ms is greater than or equal to the second time duration, and a*2.8 ms is greater than or equal to the first time duration. The second time duration can also be a vsync period, for example, 8.3 ms.

[0211] The first time duration and the second time duration can be empirical values, and the values of the first time duration and the second time duration can be different in different foldable electronic devices with different software and hardware capabilities. The first time duration and the second time duration can be different from each other, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0212] That is, in the AP-side fast power-on scenario, the jth frame synchronization signal in FIG. 23 can be later than the i+3th frame synchronization signal by at least the first time duration, and the kth frame synchronization signal can be later than the jth frame synchronization signal by at least the second time duration.

[0213] As described above, the AOD fast power-on scenario does not have the problem of screen flickering, and therefore the control instruction for turning on the ESTV signal of the target display area can be issued before the partition display, that is, in this scenario, S17 in FIG. 23 can be performed before S16. Of course, in the AOD fast power-on scenario, even if there is no problem of screen flickering, the foldable electronic device can first perform S16 and then perform S17, without affecting the effect of partition control in this scenario.

[0214] To solve the problem of black flashing, the SoC can determine whether the upper-layer image sending specification and the display sending specification are adapted, and if not, discard the upper-layer image sending and temporarily not perform the display sending.

[0215] As shown in FIG. 25, the specific implementation of the display method provided by the embodiments of the present application can include:

[0216] S21, detecting that the ith frame synchronization signal arrives, the SoC issues an instruction packet A to the DDIC.

[0217] The instruction packet A can include an STV signal off instruction, an STV signal on instruction, a setting instruction of a refresh area, and the like.

[0218] Correspondingly, after receiving the instruction package A, the DDIC can turn off the STV signal (including the ESTV signal) of the target screen-off area according to the above-mentioned STV signal turn-off instruction, turn on the STV signal (except the ESTV signal) of the target display area according to the above-mentioned STV signal turn-on instruction, and determine which range of data in the GRAM to refresh to the display screen according to the above-mentioned refresh area setting instruction.

[0219] S22, the i+1th frame synchronization signal is detected to arrive, and the SoC issues an instruction package B to the DDIC.

[0220] The instruction package B can include an XEQ IN instruction. The XEQ IN instruction can be used to set the DDIC to enter the first state. After the DDIC enters the first state, it will not respond to the control instructions (such as the instructions in the instruction package C) received subsequently until the fourth control instruction is received.

[0221] Correspondingly, the DDIC can enter the first state according to the XEQ IN instruction, wait for the arrival of the XEQ OUT control instruction, and temporarily cache the control instructions received by the waiting device without executing them.

[0222] S23, the i+2th frame synchronization signal is detected to arrive, and the SoC issues an instruction package C to the DDIC.

[0223] The instruction package C can include an NL setting instruction, a VFP setting instruction, and a VSR setting instruction. The fifth control instruction can be used to control the screen to display in partitions and power on / off in partitions.

[0224] Correspondingly, the DDIC in the first state first caches the instruction package C. Until the instruction package D (XEQ OUT) is received, the DDIC is released from the first state, and continues to wait until the instruction package E (0X2C instruction) is received and triggers the self-refresh of the display screen, and then the instructions in the instruction package C are executed.

[0225] S24, the i+3th frame synchronization signal is detected to arrive, and the SoC issues an instruction package D to the DDIC.

[0226] The instruction package D can include an XEQ OUT instruction, which can be used to release the first state of the DDIC.

[0227] Correspondingly, the DDIC can release the first state according to the XEQ OUT instruction.

[0228] S25, at the time of the jth frame synchronization signal, the SoC issues an instruction package E to the DDIC.

[0229] The jth frame synchronization signal is later than the i+3th frame synchronization signal.

[0230] The instruction package E can include an instruction for triggering the self-refresh of the display screen, and the instruction code of the instruction can be 0X2C for example.

[0231] Correspondingly, the DDIC can trigger the self-refresh of the display screen according to the 0X2C instruction, and execute the instructions in the instruction package C during the self-refresh of the display screen, such as setting the column direction valid VSR of the DDIC brush picture, setting the channel of the DDIC internal generation of typical timing waveform, and setting the VSR.

[0232] For specific details of S21-S25, reference can be made to the detailed description of S11-S15 in FIG. 23, which will not be repeated here.

[0233] So far, the partition control instruction for the display screen 120 is basically issued, but the control instruction for opening the ESTV signal of the target display area (i.e., the eighth control instruction in the following) is excluded.

[0234] Next, the SoC will perform display according to the specification of the display area after the folding mode is switched, and then open the ESTV signal of the display area after the display, so as to avoid the problem of mura or picture residual. After S21-S25 are executed, the operating system will notify the upper layer rendering thread of the folding mode change, which will be described in the following embodiment. However, before the notification arrives, the upper layer may have just issued a picture once according to the specification of the display area before the folding mode is switched, which will cause the specification of the upper layer picture to be inconsistent with the specification of the SoC display, and the SoC will trigger the display subsystem exception and start the online reset program to perform exception handling. Such exception handling will cause the display screen to have a black flash problem, which we do not want to see. In order to avoid the black flash problem, the SoC needs to check the layer specification of the upper layer picture after S27, and if the layer specification is inconsistent with the display specification, discard the layer from the upper layer. Please refer to the following steps S26-S29 for details.

[0235] S26, after the 0X2C instruction is issued, the upper layer rendering thread is detected to send a picture, in response to which the SoC can judge whether the specification of the upper layer picture is adapted to the SoC display, if yes, S27-S28 can be executed, if not, S29 can be executed. The specification of the upper layer picture refers to the layer specification of the picture sent by the upper layer rendering thread.

[0236] Here, adaptation refers to the same specification. Taking the foldable electronic device shown in FIG. 1A-1B as an example, if the layer of the upper layer picture is a full-screen layer, and the specification of the SoC display is only D face, then this belongs to the case of non-adaptation.

[0237] S27, at the time of the kth frame synchronization signal, the SoC can use the upper layer picture to perform partition display to the DDIC.

[0238] The kth frame synchronization signal is later than the jth frame synchronization signal. The kth frame synchronization signal can be the first frame synchronization signal after the upper-layer rendering thread sends a picture, so as to perform partition display as early as possible. Without limitation, the kth frame synchronization signal can also be the second, third, or the like frame synchronization signal after the upper-layer rendering thread sends a picture.

[0239] Specifically, the partition display is performed according to the specification of the display area after the folding mode switching. That is, the data of the partition display is only the display data of the target display area, rather than the display data of the whole screen. Here, the target display area refers to the display area used for displaying a picture after the folding mode switching, for example, the D face, the E face, and the F face in FIG. 13, the E face and the F face in FIG. 14, the D face, the E face, and the F face in FIG. 15, and the D face in FIG. 16.

[0240] Correspondingly, the DDIC can write the data of the SoC partition display into the GRAM, and the written data can realize the partition display of the display screen through the self-refresh of the display screen.

[0241] S28, at the time of the mth frame synchronization signal, the SoC issues an instruction package F to the DDIC.

[0242] The instruction package F can include an instruction of turning on the ESTV signal of the target display area. Correspondingly, in response to the instruction, the DDIC can turn on the ESTV signal of the target display area.

[0243] Correspondingly, the DDIC can turn on the ESTV signal of the target display area according to the instruction package F. At this time, the target display area is lit, and the display data of the target display area in the GRAM is refreshed to the display screen and is visible to the user.

[0244] S29, the SoC discards the upper-layer picture sending, does not use the upper-layer picture sending to perform the partition display to the DDIC, performs a short waiting, and waits until the upper-layer picture sending specification is consistent with the SoC display specification to perform S27-S28 to realize the partition display.

[0245] During the waiting, the upper-layer rendering thread can perform a new picture sending, and the SoC display specification can also be adjusted. The SoC can continue to perform S26 to determine whether the upper-layer picture sending specification and the SoC display specification become consistent.

[0246] As described above, the inconsistency between the upper-layer picture sending specification and the SoC display specification has the following two cases:

[0247] Case 1, the SoC display specification is updated, but the upper-layer picture sending specification is not updated;

[0248] Case 2, the upper-layer picture sending specification is updated, but the SoC display specification is not updated.

[0249] Case 1 mainly occurs in the aforementioned scenario 2, the SoC display specification is consistent with the specification of the target display area after the folding mode switching, and the black flash mainly occurs because the upper-layer image sending specification is not updated in time to be consistent with the target display area. For case 1, the SoC can determine whether the upper-layer image sending specification is consistent with the SoC display specification by judging whether the upper-layer image sending specification is consistent with the specification of the target display area. If the upper-layer image sending specification is consistent with the specification of the target display area, it can be determined that the upper-layer image sending specification is consistent with the SoC display specification; otherwise, it can be determined that the upper-layer image sending specification is inconsistent with the SoC display specification. If it is inconsistent, the SoC can not use the upper-layer image for display first, wait for a short time, and then use the new upper-layer image for display after the upper-layer rendering line receives the folding mode switching notification and updates the image sending specification. The specification of the new upper-layer image is consistent with the specification of the target display area.

[0250] Case 2 mainly occurs in the aforementioned scenario 1, the upper-layer image sending specification is consistent with the specification of the target display area from the beginning, and the black flash mainly occurs because the SoC display specification is not updated in time to be consistent with the target display area from the beginning. For case 2, the SoC can not use the upper-layer image for display first, wait for a short time, and then use the new upper-layer image for display after the SoC display specification is updated to be consistent with the target display area. Here, the target display area is the screen area for displaying the picture in the actual folding mode.

[0251] FIG. 26 exemplarily shows the composition of the foldable electronic device 100 provided by the embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIG. 26, the electronic device 100 can include a processor 110, an external memory interface 120, an internal memory 121, a universal serial bus (USB) interface 130, a charge management module 140, a power management module 141, a battery 142, an antenna 1, an antenna 2, a mobile communication module 150, a wireless communication module 160, an audio module 170, a loudspeaker 170A, a receiver 170B, a microphone 170C, a sensor module 180, a camera 193, and a display screen 194. The sensor module 180 can include a pressure sensor 180A, a gyroscope sensor 180B, a barometric pressure sensor 180C, a magnetic sensor 180D, an acceleration sensor 180E, a distance sensor 180F, a proximity light sensor 180G, a fingerprint sensor 180H, a temperature sensor 180J, a touch sensor 180K, an ambient light sensor 180L, a bone conduction sensor 180M, and the like. Among them,

[0252] The processor 110 can include one or more processing units, for example: the processor 110 can include an application processor (AP), a modem processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a controller, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband processor, and / or a neural-network processing unit (NPU), etc. Different processing units can be independent devices or integrated in one or more processors.

[0253] The controller can generate operation control signals according to the instruction operation code and the timing signal, complete the control of fetching and executing instructions.

[0254] The processor 110 can also be provided with a memory for storing instructions and data. In some embodiments, the memory in the processor 110 is a cache memory. The memory can save instructions or data that have just been used or are used repeatedly by the processor 110. If the processor 110 needs to use the instructions or data again, it can directly call from the memory. This avoids repeated access and reduces the waiting time of the processor 110, thereby improving the efficiency of the system.

[0255] In some embodiments, the processor 110 can include one or more interfaces. The interfaces can include an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) interface, an inter-integrated circuit sound (I2S) interface, a pulse code modulation (PCM) interface, a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) interface, a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI), a general-purpose input / output (GPIO) interface, a subscriber identity module (SIM) interface, and / or a universal serial bus (USB) interface, etc.

[0256] The charging management module 140 is configured to receive charging input from a charger. The charger can be a wireless charger or a wired charger.

[0257] The power management module 141 is configured to connect the battery 142 and the charging management module 140 and the processor 110.

[0258] The wireless communication function of the electronic device 100 can be implemented by the antenna 1, the antenna 2, the mobile communication module 150, the wireless communication module 160, the modem processor, and the baseband processor.

[0259] The antenna 1 and the antenna 2 are configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic wave signals. Each antenna in the electronic device 100 can be configured to cover a single or multiple communication frequency bands. Different antennas can also be multiplexed to improve the utilization of the antennas. For example, the antenna 1 can be multiplexed as a diversity antenna for a wireless local area network. In some other embodiments, the antennas can be used in combination with a tuning switch.

[0260] The mobile communication module 150 can provide a solution for wireless communication including 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G, etc. applied to the electronic device 100. The mobile communication module 150 can include at least one filter, a switch, a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier (LNA), etc. The mobile communication module 150 can receive electromagnetic waves from the antenna 1 and perform filtering, amplification, etc. on the received electromagnetic waves and transmit the processed electromagnetic waves to the modem processor for demodulation. The mobile communication module 150 can also amplify the signals modulated by the modem processor and convert the signals into electromagnetic waves to be radiated through the antenna 1. In some embodiments, at least part of the functional modules of the mobile communication module 150 can be disposed in the processor 110. In some embodiments, at least part of the functional modules of the mobile communication module 150 and at least part of the modules of the processor 110 can be disposed in the same device.

[0261] The modem processor can include a modulator and a demodulator. The modulator is configured to modulate a low-frequency baseband signal to be transmitted into a medium-high frequency signal. The demodulator is configured to demodulate a received electromagnetic wave signal into a low-frequency baseband signal. The demodulator then transmits the demodulated low-frequency baseband signal to the baseband processor for processing. The low-frequency baseband signal processed by the baseband processor is transmitted to the application processor. The application processor outputs a sound signal through an audio device (not limited to the speaker 170A and the microphone 170B, etc.) or displays an image or a video through the display screen 194. In some embodiments, the modem processor can be a separate device. In some other embodiments, the modem processor can be independent of the processor 110 and disposed in the same device as the mobile communication module 150 or other functional modules.

[0262] The wireless communication module 160 can provide a solution for wireless communication including a wireless local area network (WLAN) (e.g., a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) network), Bluetooth (BT), a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), frequency modulation (FM), near field communication (NFC), infrared technology (IR), etc., which are applied to the electronic device 100. The wireless communication module 160 can be one or more devices that integrate at least one communication processing module. The wireless communication module 160 receives an electromagnetic wave via the antenna 2, frequency-modulates and filters the electromagnetic wave signal, and transmits the processed signal to the processor 110. The wireless communication module 160 can also receive a signal to be transmitted from the processor 110, frequency-modulate the signal, amplify it, and radiate it as an electromagnetic wave via the antenna 2.

[0263] In some embodiments, the antenna 1 and the mobile communication module 150 of the electronic device 100 are coupled, and the antenna 2 and the wireless communication module 160 are coupled, so that the electronic device 100 can communicate with a network and other devices through wireless communication technology. The wireless communication technology can include global system for mobile communications (GSM), general packet radio service (GPRS), code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), time-division code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA), long term evolution (LTE), BT, GNSS, WLAN, NFC, FM, and / or IR technology, etc. The GNSS can include a global positioning system (GPS), a global navigation satellite system (GLONASS), a beidou navigation satellite system (BDS), a quasi-zenith satellite system (QZSS), and / or a satellite based augmentation systems (SBAS).

[0264] The electronic device 100 implements display functions through a GPU, the display 194, and an application processor, etc. The GPU is a microprocessor for image processing, and is connected to the display 194 and the application processor. The GPU is used to perform mathematical and geometric calculations for graphics rendering. The processor 110 can include one or more GPUs that execute program instructions to generate or change display information.

[0265] The display 194 is used to display images, videos, etc. The display 194 is the display 120 mentioned in the above embodiments, and can include the following screens: the display 120A, the display 120B, and the display 120C, and can also include more screens. The sizes of the screens can be the same or different. The screens can be several independent screens, and two adjacent screens are connected through a folding component, and can be bent at the folding position around the folding component. The display 194 can also be a whole flexible screen, and each screen is a part of the whole flexible screen. It can be a whole flexible screen and can be folded. The display 194 can have one or more folding positions, which can divide the display 194 into screen parts, such as the display 120A, the display 120B, and the display 120C shown in FIGS. 1A-1B.

[0266] The electronic device 100 can implement a shooting function through an ISP, the camera 193, a video codec, a GPU, the display 194, and an application processor, etc.

[0267] The ISP is used to process data fed back by the camera 193. For example, when taking a photo, the shutter is opened, light is transmitted to the camera photosensitive element through the lens, the light signal is converted into an electrical signal, and the camera photosensitive element transmits the electrical signal to the ISP for processing to convert it into a visible image.

[0268] The camera 193 is used to capture still images or videos. An object generates an optical image through a lens and projects it onto a photosensitive element. The photosensitive element can be a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) phototransistor. The photosensitive element converts the light signal into an electrical signal, and then transmits the electrical signal to the ISP to convert it into a digital image signal. In some embodiments, the electronic device 100 can include one or N cameras 193, where N is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0269] The digital signal processor is used to process digital signals, and can process not only digital image signals but also other digital signals. For example, when the electronic device 100 selects a frequency point, the digital signal processor is used to perform Fourier transform on the frequency point energy, etc.

[0270] A video codec is used to compress or decompress digital video. The electronic device 100 can support one or more video codecs. In this way, the electronic device 100 can play or record videos in a variety of encoding formats, such as moving picture experts group (MPEG) 1, MPEG 2, MPEG 3, MPEG 4, and the like.

[0271] An NPU is a neural-network (NN) computing processor that quickly processes input information by drawing on the structure of a biological neural network, such as the transmission mode between human brain neurons, and can also continuously self-learn.

[0272] The external memory interface 120 can be used to connect an external memory card, such as a Micro SD card, to expand the storage capacity of the electronic device 100.

[0273] The internal memory 121 can be used to store computer executable program code, which includes instructions. The internal memory 121 can include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area can store an operating system, at least one application required for a function (such as a sound playing function, an image playing function, and the like), and the like. The data storage area can store data created during use of the electronic device 100 (such as audio data, a phonebook, and the like), and the like. In addition, the internal memory 121 can include a high-speed random access memory, and can also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one magnetic disk storage device, a flash memory device, a universal flash storage (UFS), and the like. The processor 110 executes various function applications and data processing of the electronic device 100 by running instructions stored in the internal memory 121 and / or instructions stored in a memory disposed in the processor.

[0274] The electronic device 100 can implement audio functions through an audio module 170, a speaker 170A, a receiver 170B, a microphone 170C, an application processor, and the like. For example, music playing, recording, and the like. The audio module 170 is used to convert digital audio information into an analog audio signal output, and is also used to convert analog audio input into a digital audio signal. The audio module 170 can also be used to encode and decode audio signals. In some embodiments, the audio module 170 can be disposed in the processor 110, or some function modules of the audio module 170 can be disposed in the processor 110.

[0275] The internal memory 121 can be used to store one or more applications of an application program, which includes instructions. When the application program is executed by the processor 110, it causes the electronic device 100 to generate content for presentation to a user. For example, the application can include an application for managing the head-mounted display device 200, a game application, a conference application, a video application, a desktop application, or other applications, etc.

[0276] The GPU can be used to perform mathematical and geometric operations according to the data obtained from the processor 110 (for example, data provided by the application program), render images using computer graphics technology, computer simulation technology, etc., and determine images for display on the head-mounted display device 200. In some embodiments, the GPU can add correction or pre-distortion to the rendering process of the image to compensate for or correct the distortion caused by the optical components of the head-mounted display device 200.

[0277] In the embodiments of the present application, the electronic device 100 can send the image processed by the GPU to the head-mounted display device 200 through the mobile communication module 150, the wireless communication module 160, or the wired interface.

[0278] The structure shown in FIG. 26 does not constitute a specific limitation on the electronic device 100. In other embodiments of the present application, the electronic device 100 can include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or split certain components, or different arrangement of components. The components shown can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0279] FIG. 27 shows a software system provided in an embodiment of the present application. The software system can run on the foldable electronic device 100 and can cooperate with the device hardware to implement the display method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0280] As shown in FIG. 27, the software system can include the following software modules: SensorFoldStateManager, HWFoldScreenManager service, window manager service (WMS), display manager service (DMS), SurfaceFlinger, hardware composer (HWC), high-performance display manager (HDM), display kernal module driver (DKMD).

[0281] The LCD KIT in FIG. 27 is a display driver normalization code architecture, which can be used to parse display area parameters, such as target display area specifications.

[0282] The DDIC in FIG. 27 can be used to receive various control instructions from the software system, and perform corresponding operations on the display panel based on the control instructions, such as driving the display panel to realize partition power-on and power-off, and partition display.

[0283] The following describes in detail each software module in the software system.

[0284] The SensorFoldStateManager is a folding state management module, which can report folding and unfolding events under screen-off through a folding sensing module, and report a folding angle after screen-on. The folding sensing module can be, for example, a Hall sensor.

[0285] The HWFoldScreenManager service can be used to monitor sensor data, calculate a folding form after switching, and notify a window management service (WMS) of specifications (such as width and height) of a display area after switching.

[0286] The window management service (WMS) can be used to manage display orders, sizes, and positions of windows.

[0287] The display management service (DMS) can be used to manage multiple logical screens and deliver windows and display area sizes to the SurfaceFlinger. The multiple logical screens refer to display areas of the foldable electronic device in different folding forms, and sizes and positions of the display areas in different folding forms are different.

[0288] The SurfaceFlinger is a display compositing system, which can be responsible for window management and graphics rendering, can support superposition and mixing of multiple layers, and can communicate with a hardware layer through a hardware compositor (HWC).

[0289] The hardware compositor (HWC) is a hardware abstract layer (HAL) module, which is used for window (layer) composition and display. It is device-specific, and is usually completed by a display device manufacturer to provide hardware support for the SurfaceFlinger service.

[0290] The high-performance display management (HDM) can be an abstract interface to kernel services, which can be used to receive service requests from an application framework layer.

[0291] The hardware corresponding to the display kernel module driver (DKMD) is the display subsystem (DSS). The DKMD can also include a display accelerator (DACC). The DACC can be a light kernel (or small core) that can be used to send control instructions to the DDIC in response to a frame synchronization signal interrupt (such as a TE interrupt) or a display interrupt.

[0292] In FIG. 27, the parameter and data transmission between each software module can be achieved through interface calls.

[0293] For example, as shown in FIG. 27, through a series of interface calls, the SensorFoldStateManager can transmit the event of display area switching to the DACC. In response to the event, the DACC can send a screen switching instruction to the DDIC, which can be the 0X2C instruction mentioned above. The DDIC can control the STV signal of the display panel according to the screen switching instruction to implement the power-on and power-off of the partitions.

[0294] For another example, as shown in FIG. 27, through a series of interface calls, the LCDKIT can transmit the parsed display area parameters to the SurfaceFlinger, so that the SurfaceFlinger can implement the graphic rendering and synthesis according to the display area parameters.

[0295] FIG. 28 shows the implementation of the display method in the software system according to an embodiment of the present application. The following is expanded.

[0296] Initialization (S31-S36)

[0297] S31-S33. Through interface calls, the hardware abstraction layer (HAL) can report the screen information to the SurfaceFlinger, where the screen information is the range of the display area in various folding modes (indicated by the start row and the end row). The hardware abstraction layer (HAL) can also transmit the screen information to the LCD driver (LCD Driver) through the kernel.

[0298] S34. The kernel executes the initialization instruction. The initialization instruction is the control instruction mentioned above, which is used to prepare for the execution of the control instruction, such as space application and instruction packaging, so as to improve the execution efficiency of the subsequent instructions.

[0299] S35-S36. The SurfaceFlinger can analyze the folding state according to the screen information reported by the HAL, and notify the display management service (DMS) of the folding state. The upper rendering thread can learn the folding mode after switching through the DMS, and send the picture according to the specifications of the display area after switching.

[0300] Initialization (S37-S43)

[0301] S37-S41. The display management service (DMS) can determine whether a folding mode switch has occurred according to the folding state passed by SurfaceFlinger. In the case of a folding mode switch, the display management service (DMS) can pass the folding switch instruction to the kernel through the layer interface call, and trigger the kernel to issue the switch instruction. Once the switch instruction is issued, the SoC display specification is updated, and the updated display specification is consistent with the specification of the display area in the latest folding mode. The timing of issuing the switch instruction can be considered to avoid the black flash problem: if there is currently a display in progress, the switch instruction can be issued after the current display is completed to avoid the current display in progress not meeting the latest display specification, thereby avoiding the possible black flash problem.

[0302] S42. According to the folding switch instruction issued by the kernel, the DACC can issue control instructions to the DDIC multiple times in sequence according to the frame synchronization signal of the display screen. Each time the control instruction is issued, it can be aligned in time with the frame synchronization signal of the display screen.

[0303] However, the opening instruction of the ESTV signal of the target display area in FIG. 28 is not shown, and is issued to the DDIC after display to avoid the problem of mura. For solutions to this problem, please refer to the related content in the embodiment of FIG. 23, which will not be repeated here.

[0304] That is, the partition control instruction can be divided into two parts, the first part is executed before display, and the second part is executed after display to avoid the problem of mura. S42 only shows the execution process of the first part.

[0305] S43. After S42 is executed, the HAL updates the folding state and updates the display specification to the specification of the display area after the switch.

[0306] S44-S45. After rendering and synthesizing the upper layer image, SurfaceFlinger passes the display data to HAL to trigger HAL to update the frame information (such as the starting row and ending row of the target display area), and perform partition display according to the latest folding state.

[0307] Not shown in FIG. 28, before partition display, the HAL can also determine whether the layer specification of the upper layer rendering thread image is consistent with the display area specification after the folding mode switch, and if not, discard the layer from the upper layer to avoid the black flash problem. For solutions to this problem, please refer to the related content in the embodiment of FIG. 25, which will not be repeated here.

[0308] It should be understood that each step in the above method embodiments provided by the present application can be completed by integrated logic circuits of hardware in the processor or instructions in the form of software. The method steps disclosed in combination with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as hardware processor execution or combined execution by hardware and software modules in the processor.

[0309] The present application also provides an electronic device, which can include a memory and a processor. The memory can be used to store a computer program, and the processor can be used to invoke the computer program in the memory to enable the electronic device to perform the method in any one of the above embodiments.

[0310] The present application also provides a chip system, which includes at least one processor for implementing the functions involved in the method performed by the electronic device in any one of the above embodiments.

[0311] In a possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing program instructions and data, and the memory is located in the processor or outside the processor.

[0312] The chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0313] Optionally, the processor in the chip system can be one or more. The processor can be implemented by hardware or software. When implemented by hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, etc. When implemented by software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor, which is enabled by reading software codes stored in the memory.

[0314] Optionally, the memory in the chip system can also be one or more. The memory can be integrated with the processor, or can be separately arranged from the processor, and the embodiments of the present application do not make any limitation in this aspect. For example, the memory can be a non-transient processor, such as a read-only memory (ROM), which can be integrated on the same chip as the processor, or can be separately arranged on different chips. The embodiments of the present application do not make any limitation on the type of the memory, and the arrangement manner of the memory and the processor.

[0315] Exemplarily, the chip system can be a field programmable gate array (FPGA), can be an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), can also be a system on chip (SoC), can also be a central processor unit (CPU), can also be a network processor (NP), can also be a digital signal processor (DSP), can also be a micro controller unit (MCU), can also be a programmable logic device (PLD) or other integrated chip.

[0316] The present application also provides a computer program product, which comprises a computer program (also referred to as code or instruction), which, when executed, causes a computer to perform the method performed by the electronic device in any one of the above embodiments.

[0317] The present application also provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores a computer program (also referred to as code or instruction). When the computer program is executed, it causes a computer to perform the method performed by the electronic device in any one of the above embodiments.

[0318] The embodiments of the present application can be combined in any manner to achieve different technical effects.

[0319] In the above embodiments, all or part of the processes can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part of the processes can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes described in the present application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center through wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) manner. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. that includes one or more available media sets. The available media can be a magnetic medium (for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (for example, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (for example, a solid state disk), etc.

[0320] Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or part of the processes in the above embodiments can be instructed by a computer program to complete the relevant hardware, and the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it can include the processes of the above-mentioned method embodiments. The aforementioned storage medium includes ROM or random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk or optical disk, and various media that can store program codes.

[0321] In summary, the above only describes the embodiments of the technical scheme of the present application, and is not used to limit the protection scope of the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made according to the disclosure of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A display method characterized by comprising: The method is applied to a foldable electronic device, the foldable electronic device comprising a processor, a display screen and a display driving integrated circuit (DDIC), the display screen being foldable, the display screen being connected to the DDIC, and the DDIC being connected to the processor; The method comprises: The processor transmits a control instruction to the DDIC, the control instruction being used to trigger the DDIC to power on and power off the display screen in partitions; the power on and power off in partitions comprises powering off a target screen-out area and powering on a target display area, wherein the target screen-out area is a screen area without displaying a picture, and the target display area is a screen area to display a picture; The processor further performs partitioned display data transmission to the DDIC, and the partitioned display data only comprises display data of the target display area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The conditions under which the processor transmits the control instruction to the DDIC comprise detecting a first scenario or a second scenario; wherein the first scenario is that the display screen is powered off from a full screen to display a picture, and the second scenario is that the display screen is powered on and a folding mode switching occurs.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The control instruction has multiple control instructions; the processor transmits the control instruction to the DDIC, specifically comprising: The processor divides the multiple control instructions into multiple groups, and triggers the transmission of the multiple groups of control instructions successively through multiple frame synchronization signals of the display screen, wherein one frame synchronization signal is used to trigger the transmission of one group of control instructions.

4. The method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The transmission order of the control instruction is determined by the execution order of the control instruction, and the control instruction with earlier execution order is transmitted earlier than the control instruction with later execution order.

5. The method of any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The control instruction comprises a first control instruction and a second control instruction, wherein the first control instruction is used to close a column start STV signal of the target screen-out area, and the second control instruction is used to open an STV signal of the target display area but not to open an emission column start ESTV signal of the target display area.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The control instruction further comprises a third control instruction, the third control instruction being used to set a corresponding refresh range of the target display area in a display memory of the display screen, and the third control instruction comprising information of a start row and an end row of the refresh range.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The control instruction further comprises a fourth control instruction and a fifth control instruction, the fourth control instruction being transmitted to the DDIC earlier than the fifth control instruction, the fourth control instruction being used to trigger the DDIC to enter a first state, and the fifth control instruction being used to release the first state, the DDIC in the first state not executing a control instruction received by the DDIC during the first state; The control instruction received by the DDIC during the first state comprises a control instruction transmitted by the processor to the DDIC between the fourth control instruction and the fifth control instruction.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The control instructions further include a sixth control instruction for triggering self-refresh of the display screen; the control instructions received by the DDIC during the first state take effect after the DDIC receives the sixth control instruction; wherein the taking effect after the sixth control instruction includes being executed when self-refresh of the display screen triggered by the sixth control instruction.

9. The method of claim 7 or 8, wherein, The transmission order of the first control instruction, the second control instruction and the third control instruction is before the transmission order of the fourth control instruction.

10. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein, The transmission order of the sixth control instruction is after the transmission order of the fifth control instruction.

11. The method of any one of claims 8-10, wherein, The control instructions further include a seventh control instruction for turning on the ESTV signal of the target display area.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The execution order of the seventh control instruction is after the transmission order of the fifth control instruction.

13. The method of any one of claims 1-12, wherein, The control instructions are divided into two parts: a first part of instructions and a second part of instructions, wherein the first part of instructions is transmitted to the DDIC before the partitioned display, and the second part of instructions is transmitted to the DDIC after the partitioned display.

14. The method of any one of claims 1-13, wherein, The processor transmits control instructions to the DDIC, specifically including: If the detected scene is the first scene, the transmission of the control instructions is completed before the partitioned display; If the detected scene is the second scene, a first part of the control instructions is transmitted before the partitioned display, and a second part of the control instructions is transmitted after the partitioned display.

15. The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein, The second part of instructions includes a seventh control instruction for turning on the ESTV signal of the target display area.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The processor further performs partitioned display to the DDIC, specifically including: The processor judges whether the layer specification of the upper-layer picture sending and the display specification are consistent, if not, the upper-layer picture sending is not used for display first, and after the layer specification of the upper-layer picture sending and the display specification are consistent, the layer of the upper-layer picture sending is used for partitioned display to the DDIC.

17. A foldable electronic device, characterized by including: A processor, a display screen, a display driving integrated circuit (DDIC), a memory, the display screen is foldable, the display screen is connected to the DDIC, the DDIC is connected to the processor, the memory is connected to the processor, the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to realize the method in any one of claims 1-16.

18. A chip system comprising one or more processors, characterized in that The processor executes the computer program to realize the method in any one of claims 1-16.

19. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, characterized in that, The computer program is executed by the processor to realize the method in any one of claims 1-16.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer program, characterized in that, The computer program is executed by the processor to realize the method in any one of claims 1-16. The computer program is executed by the processor to realize the method in any one of claims 1-16.

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